Filing device



Jan. 2, 1934. F, A. PETTIS 1,941,910

FILING DEVICE Filed March 1931 M J "t Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES FILING DEVICE Fred A. Pettis, Buffalo, N. Y.,.assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y.

Application March 2, 1931. Serial No. 519,530

8 Claims.

.This invention relates to a filing device, and particularly, to a device for detachably securing papers or letters to be filed to the cover of a folder or book, or to a backing of another type.

; More particularly, the invention relates to a device having a fastening element for detachably clipping a number of such papers together and having means fixedly secured to a cover for re leasably attaching the fastening element, and its attendant papers, to the cover or backing. The fastening element may comprise a back member having endportions or prongs which extend through apertures punched in the letters or papers and which may be bent thereover against 16 the outer face of the papers to prevent their displacement. The member for securing the fastening member to the cover may comprise a plate permanently aflixed to the cover or backing, resilient hooked means being provided on either the fastener base or the plate to hold these parts releasably engaged. The hook means are preferably spaced, and cooperating means are formed on the plate and base for aiding in the resilient and releasable retention of the parts in assembled relation.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means to prevent accidental displacement or disengagement of. the parts. To this end, stress reducing sections cooperating with the hooks and the member on which they are formed are provided by this invention to render the hooks less flexible, thereby necessitating a greater force to disengage the parts.

These and further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of one typical embodiment of the principles of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing the cover member with the plate means to detachably receive the paper fastener, and showing a sheaf of papers secured together by the fastener, the fastener and plate being disconnected.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view at right angles to that of Fig. 2, and taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the paper fastener engaged with the plate.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view through one of the hook members, being taken along line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the fastener depicting the side of the fastener opposite the side shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the sheaf of papers, as on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and showing the fastener applied thereto, the broken lines showing the ends or prongs of the fastener base in open position and the full so lines depicting these ends in closed position.

Asshown in Fig. 1, the device may comprise a pair of cover members 10 and 11 hinged together by a flexible strip, or the like, 12. A plate 13 is secured to the cover member 10, preferably ad- 05 jacent the upper edge thereof, and has a plurality of lateral hooks 14 which extend through apertures in the cover member and engage therebeneath to prevent displacement of the plate. The plate is provided with a pair of spaced hooks 15 which may be struck from the plate body, each hook preferably comprising a portion 16 in substantial parallelism .with the body of the plate, and a portion 17 connecting the inner edge of the v portion 16 to the plate body. Extending between the hooks 15 is a raised portion or latching member 18 which preferably has its greatest dimension extending longitudinally of the plate as depicted in Fig. 1.. 19 designates a sheaf of papers to be filed, the papers being prepared for filing by form- 1 ing a pair of apertures 21 therethrough in the well known manner. Lateral portions or prongs 22 of a substantially U-shaped fastener 23 having a base 26 may be inserted through these apertures. The outer ends of the lateral portions or prongs 22 are preferably pointed to enable them to be readily entered through the apertures 21,'and, after such entry, they may be bent over the paper sheaf as depicted in Fig. 6, being bent from the dotted or broken line position to the full line position therein depicted. In order to protect the edges of the sheaf which define the apertures 21, an apertured bar 24 may be entered over the extensions or prongs 22'prior to their bending, each prong 22 extending through one aperture 25 of the bar.

The base portion 26 of the U-shaped fastener has flanges 27 depending from the edges thereof to form parallel beads, each flange comprising a portion extending downwardly and'thence upwardly as depicted in Fig. 3, the opposed flange portions together defining a recess 28 extending across the central portion of the U-shaped fastener base. As shown in Fig. 1, the end portions of the flanges may terminate in extensions 29 which bridge the apertures 21 to prevent tearing of the papers. The sheaf may be detachably affixed to the cover by inserting the central portion of the fastener beneath the hooks 15, in such manner that the portions 16 of the latter will engage between the central portion of the clip and the papers. During the movement of engaging these parts, the hooks will be flexed away from the plate proper, or upwardly as the device is de- 5 picted in Fig. 3, in order to allow the flange portions 27 to be passed over the raised portion 18 of the plate. In entered relation, the flange portions 27 will engage on opposite sides of the raised portion 18, preventing displacement of the fastener from the plate save upon the application of force to the fastener in an upward direction, as

viewed in Fig. 1, sufficient to flex the hooks and/or the fastener base to allow the flange 27 to pass over the raised portion 18. Reinforcing beads are formed in the hooks 15 to properly strengthen the same. These beads extend along the upper surfaces of the portions 16 and extend downwardly along the portions 1'7, merging into the body proper of the plate.

It will now be understood that the device provides a simple and positive 'means of attaching a sheaf of papers to a cover or backing. The fastener and the sheaf of papers thereon may be readily attached to or detached from the plate za fiand the cover to which it is secured by reason of the resilience of the hooks 15 and the base plate, and while attached will, by reason of the interlocking engagement between the raised portion 18 within the recess 28 of the fastener base, render 30Tunauth0rized or accidental disengagement unlikely. The beads or reinforcing sections 30 will reinforce the hooks, preventing their displacement beyond the elastic limit of the metal of which they are formed, thus reducing the likeli- .35T3hood of breakage and increasing the force required to effect disengagement. Additional papers may be added to the fastener or be extracted from the sheaf, with or without removal of the fastener from the plate and cover, upon bending the 'j-3prongs or extensions 22 outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, and by removing the cross bar 24.

It will further be understood that the described device is merely illustrative of the principles of T3the invention which may also be embodied in other devices. a

What is claimed is:- 1. In a filing device, a mounting member, a plate secured thereto, a pair of spaced resilient ""hooks on the plate member, a raised portion on the plate between the hooks, a filler fastener having an elongated base with a central recess and filler securing means on the base, the fastener being mounted on the plate by the resilient engage ment of the hooks over marginal portions of the fastener and by the engagement of the raised portion of the plate in the central recess of the base.

2. In a filing device, a plate member having a pair of spaced resilient hooks and a'filler base so member adapted to engage under said hooks, one

of said members having a recess and the other 3: In a filing device, a platemember and a posed relation on said plate.

filler base member, one of said members having a pair of spaced hooks adapted to engage the other of said members, one of said members having a recess and the other of said members having a latching portion adapted to engage therein, whereby when one member is inserted under the hooks of the other member the hooks may flex to allow the portions defining the recess to receive the latching portion, and whereby upon full entered engagement the hooks will resiliently urge the latching portion into engagement in the recess.

4. In a filing device a plate member and a filler base member, one of said members having a struck-out hook portion in substantial parallelism with the body thereof and adapted to receive the other of said members between said hook portion and the body, one of said members having a raised portion, and the other of said members having a pair of flange portions for engaging the opposite sides of the raised portion, whereby said base member is held retained against unintentional dislodgement from said hooks. i

5. In a filing device, a mounting member, a plate having hook portions engaging the mounting member and a pair of spaced resilient hooks, said plate having a raised portion between the hooks, a fastener for retaining an apertured filler comprising a central base portion and lateral portions extending therefrom, an apertured retaining bar, the lateral portions of the fastener adapted to extend through the apertures of the filler and of the retaining bar and having bent end portions to overlie the retaining bar, the central base portion being adapted to be received by the resilient hooks of the plate and having flange portions engaging opposite sides of the raised portion of the plate.

6. A retaining plate for a paper fastener member comprising a sheet material plate having portions struck out and formed to provide a pair of spaced hooks each having a corresponding portion in spaced parallel relation to said plate and a portion connecting the'last mentioned portion to the plate, and an offset portion intermediate the ends of said plate forming a latching member on the plate for cooperation with said hooks: to detachably retain a paper fastener. I

'7. A filing device, comprising a fastener for'deay tachably binding a plurality of sheets having-a 125 base portionformed with beads along opposite lib" 'edge portions, and a retaining plate having spaced oifset portions for slidably receiving said base portion between said, plate and offset portions, and a latching member on said'plate 00- operating with said beads and said ofiset portions.

to detachably retain said fastener on said plate."

8. A filing device, comprising a fastener for de tachably binding a plurality of sheets having a base portion, and a retaining plate having struck out portions forming cooperating members for resiliently engaging over the opposite side of said base portion of the fastener when said fastener is seated on one. face of said plate and detachably connecting and retaining said fastener in super- FRED A. PET'IIS. 1" 

